May 9, 2025 • 39 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Steve Maharey, Kate Acland, Matt Bolger, Jen Corkran, and Winston Peters.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Best of the Country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Now record Tom.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
I can't remember everything we said.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We said it. Oh, it told me that you.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Wis hour somebody ever met for baby Baby. Something's telling
me this samee over here. No, it was our last night.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I kids to live making good to.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
See you with K and Good Morning New Zealand. My
name's Jamie McKay. Welcome to the Best of the Country,
brought to you each and every Saturday morning between six
and seven here on News Talk sai'd be by Rabobank.
We're growing a better New Zealand together and we're going
country this week at Enzedmy because we've just launched our
new iHeart Country New Zealand music station. You can find
(00:53):
it on iHeartRadio The Best of the Country. Yeah, okay,
the best bits of our weekdays show twelve to one.
We're going to kick it off with a two part
interview with Steve Mahari, a man that I honestly believe
could have been a prime minister, a labor prime minister,
had he stuck with the ship. He chose to do
other things. He's been successful post politics. Of course, he's
(01:15):
a former labor cabinet minister. Earlier in the week he
commented on the state of world politics after Trump's victories
for the left in Canada and Australia. He didn't actually
agree with me on that one. Is Winston Peter's our
Trump is labor electable with the Greens and Tapati Maori
as coalition partners. So that's part one of the interview.
(01:36):
Part two we'll have a look at a capital gains
and wealth tax as championed by the late David Parker.
I mean he stepped aside from politics and entertaining valedictory speech.
Is it electorally palatable? And how's New Zealand placed as
a food producer in a geo politically troubled world because
(01:56):
Steve Mahary's done a lot of work in that space.
Week I went to Brussels over the phone, of course,
not physically, to catch up with Kate Ackland, chair of
Beef and Lamb. She was over there. We talked declining
livestock numbers and no decline in pastoral and arable farms
going to carbon forestry. It's a real issue on the
(02:18):
farms of New Zealand. Matt Bolger, Fonterra's new Managing director
of co Op Affairs, had to look at another outstanding
global dairy trade auction this week. And with a name
like Bulger coming from the king Country, you guessed it.
Yet we figured out who his dad was and his
mum for that matter. Jen Corkran is also with Rabobank.
(02:38):
She is their senior Animal proteins analyst. She reviewed the sheep,
meat and beef sections from the banks mayag monthly. Am
I going to wrap it with Winston Peters got excited
about his glory days back in the day in his
rugby career. We've got all that to do on the
best of the country. It's brought to you by Raho Bank.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Lasted the best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the
bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
Rabobank great to catch up with this man again. Steve Mahari.
Back in the day, Steve, I think you were number
three in the labor cabinet behind Helen Clark and Michael Cullen.
Some people, myself included, said you could have been a
Prime minister and said instead of Jasinda Adrn. What would
have happened to New Zealand if that was the.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
Case, Well, who knows, hypothetical. I think Jasinda always had
an agenda which probably most people of the Labor Party
were applauded if you look back, where she was talking
about child poverty and trying to make the country more
friendly to electric vehicles and all sorts of things that
were good progressive causes. The problem they had, of course,
was delivery. And I hope that what would be one
(03:54):
thing about me would have been a fail Ever done that,
who knows it would have been that we would have
been in a good position to have delivered, because, of course,
one of the problems that whole Labor term suffered from
was the nine years before it, where there were just
constant changes of leaders and not enough attention paid for policy,
so delivery was therefore always going to be really hard.
(04:17):
I'd like to have thought that if there'd been a
better run up to that time, just thint it would
have had a better platform and we're delivered on what
she was talking.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Yeah, but she was at the end of the day,
she was too left wing. Aren't we going back even
around the world to centrist politics.
Speaker 6 (04:33):
I think that there is a shift there. I think
I've we've talked just off here about the article by
Stephen Joyce suggesting that we're seeing a big shift in
the world. I'll be a bit cautious about that. These
things that are driving the right wing, like Trump and
so on around the world are still there. They haven't
gone away. I think it's what's happening is that people
are starting to wake up and that sort of centrist
(04:56):
group who are pretty laxadaisical about politics often just starting
wake up to say, gee, if this carries on, then
you end up with people like Trump. And so we've
seen the result in Canada, with Senate, in Singapore, with
Senate in Australia that people are starting to say no, no,
we'd better be careful about this. But I don't think
the fighters. There's just huge drivers for that kind of
(05:18):
politics to go. And I think the big thing that
we all should be doing is saying the center is
the place that a good government should be, whether it's
center right or center left. And if we want to
avoid the kinds of stuff that's happening in the US
which we ought to really avoid, then we really need
to do something about getting out voting and putting in
place people you.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Care about, Steve Maharri And that's the exact reason why
Chris Hopkins is a dead man walking in my humble opinion,
not necessarily because of where he and the Labor Party sit,
but where his coalition partners sit, the Greens and to
Party Mallory, for a lot of New Zealanders, they are
totally unelectable.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
Well, I couldn't agree more. Well, I think that the
Marty Party, of course pits themselves as only for Mary
and only for a particular section of many of course
as well, that they are quite judgmental about who they
feel fits that mold. So that's a pretty difficult pill
for the majority of people to swallow. And I think
the Green Party just seem to be unable to decide
(06:19):
what they're on about. They seem increasingly to want to
represent a very small part of the country as well,
and that once again doesn't help with trying to win
a majority of people to a platform that will change
the country. So I think Labor's got a problem with
its potential partners at the moment, and hopefully they're talking
with them about the fact that they need to shape
up and start to talk about things in a way
(06:41):
which a majority of people could accept.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
Peter Dunn't let me get it right, got kicked to
touch in Australia over the weekend. He was described as
the Ossie Trump, as Winston Peter's the New Zealand Trump.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
He sort of as I think Winston has always been
a person who's understood that he needs about five percent
of the boat and we used to in the old
days referred to that as the pist off vote in
New Zealand. And that's not a big vote, but it
is about five percent or a little bit more. And
he knows that he placed it there. He gets somebody
gets back into parliament. So I don't think Winston's the
kind of person he genuinely would be a Trump. He's
(07:17):
too much an old style National Party wet really when
it comes down to it, to allow that to happen.
But he knows that there are a number of people
now that listen to that kind of stuff and they
would be a good five percent and it's a good
ticket for him to get back into parliament. Steve, I
think it's shameful that does it, but that's what he's.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Okay, Steve Mahurry, I reckon if an election was held tomorrow,
this is just my view again, and you'd know a
lot more about it than me. Winston and Shane Jones
would do a lot better than five percent.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
I think on this ticket. There after that certainly saying
James is because he's got a time in Parliament to
come yet he will want to stay there and they
could well do that. You remember last time they started
to rock up towards ten percent and so on, they
looked like they were doing quite well. Don't think it'll
either be a kind of trumpy and big vote for them,
and they don't think they would believe that they get it.
(08:05):
But they know that if they run on all these
things like the woke agenda that they're now running on,
they can get a good, good proportion of vote and
guarantee themselves returned to Parliament nothing. That's what they're after.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Former Labor Cabinet Minister Steve Mahary, Good morning. My name
is Jamie McKay. This is the best of the country.
It's brought to you by Rabobank. Up next part two
of that interview. Kate Ackland and Brussels Chair of Beef
and Lamb New Zealand, Matt Bolger, Jen Corkran and Winston
Peters to come.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The best of the country with rubber Bank, The bank
with local agri banking experts passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Rubber Bank Steve Mahary with us. Your old mate David
Parker is doing his valedictory speech this week, and he'll
fire a few shots no doubt about a wealth tax
or a capital gains tax. I know it's well and
truly back on the table, but will people vote for it.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
Well. I ought to work to something like this because
it's pretty clear that we don't have enough tax to
do the kinds of things that everyone says they want
to do, like run a decent health system and so on.
So something has to change. And you'll notice that the
National Party also are talking about where when new revenue
comes from, whether it's a capital gains tax or whether
it's a wealth tax. I think one of the basic
principles of a fair tax system would be that we
(09:21):
tax thing that anything that gives you income. At the moment,
we rely far too heavily, of course, on just income tax,
and that's not something other countries do, and that's something
we seem to have pushed ourselves into a corner over.
So I hope what the play does do is come
up with something sensible. I think a wealth tax, for example,
which perhaps was parked exclusively for health and education, that
(09:44):
people who paid it would know that their money was
going to causes that everybody wanted to see addressed. I
think probably they'd get away with it, but they need
to get past this arguing over it and settled out
and give people a good chance to absorb it. Otherwise
to be going into the election camp paying with the
policy people are not used to and that's very difficult
to vote for.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
You've got a Gold card and the winter energy payment.
You don't need it. I don't need it. Surely they've
got to do something about the age of eligibility for
National Super and perhaps means testing, not National Super, because
I think it's a universal benefit that people have earned
over a lifetime of paying tax, but things like energy payments,
(10:25):
they could be indexed to income.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Yeah, I agree with that. I'm great you said that
Super should be universal, because a minute you start doing that,
you're basically turning it into a benefit and you are
means testing it, which means there are fine whether thresholders,
that it costs an enormous amount of money. It means people
who don't get it will start to campaign on the
think that other people shouldn't get it, or just an
internite me. I think it's one of the best systems
(10:50):
in the world to just say it's universal and you
don't get all of it. If you're still earning lots
of money, then you can your super will be lower anyway.
There's all those sorts of safeguards. But I think the
other add ons. You're right, something like a community card
would be a reasonable way to say, if you've got that,
then you get the winter energy payment. If you don't,
you don't because you're right, I don't need it. You
(11:12):
don't need it. But it rolls through, and I think
some sort of guardrails around those sorts of things seems
to me to be sensible, but not super I think
that would be silly. Should the age go up. I
think probably when you look at people like you and me,
we're still fully active, you start to think, well, maybe
in future generations, giving people plenty of time to adjust it,
(11:33):
something like sixty seven is not such a bad thing
to do given them length of time people work in
the age now here.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Hey, let's just finish a final comment on New Zealand
as a food producer, because you do a lot of
work in that area. How well positioned are we as
a nation at the moment, you know, with all the
uncertainty geo political tension, the Trump tariffs, all that sort
of stuff. How well positioned do we stuck away at
the bottom of the South Pacific and just produce high
(12:00):
quality food to export around the world. I'd say we're
in a better position than a lot of countries.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Well, we've got things that people want. So that's good,
isn't it? That food is something that people always want.
How difficult difficultly really will be that obviously we're going
to ship things that are heavy all around the world
at the time when people are worried about that with
environmental issues and climate change and so on. So I
think we've got a big job in front of us
of ensuring that we're not dependent on commodities, as you
(12:30):
and I've talked before, But we're actually got food products
that is that there is. We do a lot more
to them before they lead leave the shores so we
get more money for them and that people become very
very attuned to the fact that they want to have
a new Zealand product there. And I still don't think
that we're doing enough of that. I keep asking MPI,
for example, where is the food strategy that you told
(12:52):
us the country was going to have, While they say
it's on our website. We'll go to the website and
convince yourself that's a food strategy. I think when we
still are too complacent about the fact that this is
a difficult product to have when you're a long way
from everywhere else, we need to refine it more, make
more money out of it, and really win people around
the world to say they must have these products, because
(13:14):
that's our vulnerability, not that we don't have something great,
but that we are quite vulnerable because of things like
distance in our still heavy dependence on commodities, so there's
a lot of stuff to do. I think, in terms
of a food strategy, get im much. I'm very encouraged, Jamie.
As the last comment, if you travel around the country,
you see people who've got this message all over the place.
(13:34):
They're really getting stuck into doing something special with the
product they've got branding it looking at niche markets around
the world. The problem is we don't have a New
Zealand system like that that supports them. So that's what
I think is a big challenge for food Still.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
Hey, Steve Maharri, thank you very much for your time
a labor politician making a lot of sense form a
Labor party politician. I think you'd make a great panel
with Steve and Joyce. I might well start working on
that one. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Okay, thank you, the best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
She is the chair of Beef and Lamb New Zealand
Canterbury farmer Kate Ackland, but she's not on the farm today.
She's in Brussels, Europe, representing us selling our wares over there, Kate.
Today we're going to talk about the drop in livestock
numbers and why Beef and Lamb New Zealand is urging
the government to close carbon farming loopholes before more damage
(14:32):
is done. But first tell me what you're doing in
Brussels on our behalf.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Well, Hi, Jamie yes, we come over to Brussels in
the UK every couple of years and the primary services
for us to connect with farmer groups and like minded groups,
government ministers, things like that, and just try and form
a bit of a global consensus on how we can
collaborate on some of the challenges that we're all facing.
(14:57):
And I guess just know it's harder for some of
those farming groups to throw stones at us if they've
had lunch with us.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Well, fair enough, there's nothing quite like a face to face.
As long as the levy piars are getting their pounds
of flesh from UK look good demand in Europe at
the moment, it's really helping lamb.
Speaker 7 (15:16):
Well look, there really is, and I think they face
with some of the similar challenges that we have in
terms of dropping sheep numbers. It's been really interesting being
over here since the FDA. The cold conversation had shifted,
so you know, a couple of years ago we got
quite a prickly reception, but this time it's really been
around you know, what are those shared challenges and opportunities
(15:36):
and how can we collaborate on things like defending the
role of animal proteins and a healthy diet, getting a
bit of a global narrative on the warming impacts of
me saying so it's been a really positive trip.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Am I right in saying on your farm in Canterbury
there mid Canterbury that you're a sheep, beef, dairy and
deer farmer. Have you got a finger in all those pies?
Speaker 7 (15:58):
We do, although our deer numbers have dropped pretty dramatically
in the last few years, so we're almost out of deer.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Well, you're not alone there. In the past ten years
the deer numbers in this country have dropped by a quarter.
Speaker 7 (16:11):
They absolutely haven't. I think the sheet numbers are almost
the same and it's probably some similar reasons for that.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
You think it'll be last man standing, last man, woman,
person non binary. I don't know. I'm afraid of offending
people these days, Kate, is that the last person standing
will make a fortune farming sheep.
Speaker 7 (16:31):
Look, I would like to think that some of the
policy settings that we've seen come and will start to
have an impact, but you know, an absolutely knowledge a
forestation is a major driver of that, and the government
made some moves last year put some restrictions on the
whole farm sales being converted into forestry. But you know,
as we both know, there's some loopholes that are being
(16:53):
exploited still, and there's been some really significant farm sales,
and particularly the Hawks Bay in Southland, which is really concerning.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Yeah, where you can drive a truck and trailer unit
through some of those loopholes. You're urging the government to
close them before more damage is done. And part of
the issue is some of the key flaws if you
want in guidance that relate to accepting receipts for ordering seedlings.
So if you can claim you've got a receipt before
(17:21):
December the fourth of last year, you're allowed to go
ahead and plant a whole lot of pine trees, perhaps
on good pastoral or even worse arable country. From this
announcement in December last year, we've seen nothing in terms of.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
Action, absolutely and the intent real I think the intent
of it was actually fair enough. I mean, if someone
had purchased the farm with the genuine intent to plant
it at the date the announcement happened, you know, we
understand that. But we do know sort of addeditisally, that
that farm sales are continuing on the basis of some
(17:54):
pretty questionable evidence so that that's the loophole. I guess
we need to see the government closed out.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Will this all sort itself out once the legislation has passed.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
We're still rarely concerned. We know that the government's find
modeling is still suggesting some really significant plantings going through
to twenty fifty, so you know, we question whether it
will be enough. In the year of twenty twenty three
year which is the latest one I've got figures for,
there was sixty nine thousand hectares of new aphorestation, which
(18:28):
was up eight percent on the year before. That's half
a million's documents. You know, these limits are a good start,
but I'm concerned that with our the allowance of one
hundred percent offsetting, and I suppose the artificial market that
the carbon market is driving for land, we're going to
continue to see some of this.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Hasn't there enough wriggle room in there for people who
want to grow forestry or even be carbon farmers, because
I know some of them have no intention there you go,
that's my opinion, not yours. I've ever harvesting them. So
you're allowed to plant what up under these new regulations
up to twenty five percent of land class classes one
to six on your own farm, so there's your personal
(19:09):
property rights. That would be a good mix. I know
you've got plenty of forestry on your farm.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Well look absolutely and to be very clear, our concerner
that whole farm going into trees absolutely support the integration
of trees within farms, you know, mose landscapes. It's got
to be the way of our farm and future, I think.
But this concern that we have is about whole farms.
And I know this sight in your area Jamie, that
(19:35):
has been brought in blanket planted into trees.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Yep, previously arable land. It's criminal anyhow, Kate Eckland, it's
late in the evening Brussels time. Thanks for some of
your time. Safe travels home.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
Thanks Tommy, nice to see.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Good morning and New Zealand. My name's Jamie Mackay. This
is the best of the country. It's brought to you
by Rabobank. Swing a better New Zealand together, Kate Ackland.
Earlier in the week in Brussels, Chair of Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Up next, the new managing director of
co op Affairs for Fonterra from a famous political family
(20:14):
Matt Boulger, Jen corkran at a Rabobank and Winston Peters
next week on the show. I'm really looking forward to
catching up with Rabobanks global strategist, Singapore based global strategist.
I call him an alarmist as well, but he's always
entertaining an informative Michael every that'll be our next week's show.
(20:36):
We'll tell you more about that as the week passes.
But up next it is Matt Bolger from Fonterra.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
You know you love and I see that on me
the best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Rabobank new blood on the country. Yeah, to talk about
a great global dairy tray auction overnight. He's the new
head of co op affairs for Fonterra. His name is
Matt Boulger. Grew up on a sheep farm, sheep and
beef farm in Tekawetti, but studied in Japan and the US.
With a name like Boulger and a town like Tekawetti,
(21:16):
I've got to ask this question, Matt, are you any
relation to Sir Jim good Adam.
Speaker 8 (21:24):
Yes, Sherla comes is on the case, you've covered me,
so now I'm one of Jim and James kids, although
there's a lot of us, so you know, there's there's
quite a few bulgers at roaming around the country, and on.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
One of them.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
How's your father keeping? I always thought he was a
good prime minister. You can't you can't go wrong when
you get a good, honest farmer as prime minister.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Exactly exactly, he's good.
Speaker 8 (21:46):
He's getting on. It's killto ninety this month, and so
you know when you when you're hit ninety, the body
runs into the normal wear and tear. But he's a
good foreman. I'm looking forward to getting down and seeing
them a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You've been the head of co Op affairs for a
couple of months, first time. As I said on the wireless,
as your dad would probably say, that Global Dairy Trade
auction overnight, Matt Boulger up four point six percent, whole
milk powder six point two. I'm told that the spot
price right at the moment is like eleven dollars per
kilogram of milk solids. You guys have to announce your
(22:22):
opening shot in a couple of weeks, and I'm going
to get straight into you here, Matt, it's got to
start with two ones.
Speaker 9 (22:29):
I thought you'd ask that.
Speaker 8 (22:30):
Yeah, we will wait till the announcement of the outlook
for next year later this month, but that's coming very close. Look, obviously,
anybody who's been in the dairy game for a while
with there on farm or anywhere else knows that there's
a lot of volatility, and so we we start a
season can obviously go up or down, and there's even
(22:50):
more volatility at the moment than we normally see. So
look forward to say they're putting an announcement, But yeah,
there's quite a lot of positivity out and market, and
I think the auction overnight reinforces that.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
How much of the auction was due to the end
of season and lower volumes.
Speaker 9 (23:07):
Yeah, there's a mix of things.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
So as we get to the end of the New
Zealand season, obviously we're putting a bit less volume up
in each period now before we start offering next season's
production up for sale.
Speaker 9 (23:18):
So there's a little bit of eden.
Speaker 8 (23:20):
There's also some other factors they you know, we saw
some strip quite strong demand out of Southeast Asia.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
We also if you look around the globe, New vices
up a little bit, but big.
Speaker 8 (23:30):
Milk markets or big milk producers like Europe, we actually
down a little bit in the last couple of months.
So it's all of those factors coming together.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Do you think you'll see a strong finish to the
season production wise? And I know parts of the North Island,
including your original home patch, have been very dry. They've
had some rain now will farmers and I know they
are in my home province of South I reckon they're
going to milk on while the weather's good. Why not?
Speaker 8 (23:56):
Yeah, And it's I mean you've already touched on it.
It's quite different read into region, right. I was got
right through the South Island a few weeks ago and
had anak a couple of weeks back, and obviously and
I'm based in the way Kado, so it's it's quite different,
different places, quite a lot of farmers and mikido probably
dried off a bit early, so we've seen that falling back.
But year on year we're still you know, we're still
(24:19):
up across the country. And as you say, it's quite
a strong tale in the South Island, which is keeping
that milk flying across the board. So that's a really
interesting season. Actually that combine you know, it's not been
easy for everyone, but combine those farmers who did get
a good volume of production with a with ten dollars
milk price, and you know that's it's a good season.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Well Matt Boulger, first time to the batter's box on
the country. I think you've got a pass mark. Well done.
Speaker 9 (24:46):
All right, I'll go and I'll go and test it
out with a family.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
We'll go and ask to Jim what he thought, or
play him the interview a week but later. Thank you
very much for your time and a great result too
for New Zealand Inc.
Speaker 9 (24:57):
Great stuff, thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Best of the country with Rabobank, the bank.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
With local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Rubbo bag hot off the press from Rabobank the May
agg Monthly Report. The author certainly of the beef and
sheep meat sections as Jen Corkran, Senior Animal Proteins Analyst, Jen.
This must have been good fun writing this positive report.
Speaker 10 (25:26):
Certainly good fun, Jamien. Good good afternoon to you. We
I was reflecting whilst wrowing us actually on the difference
in messages, you know, in the different and outlog that
we've got across read meat broadly versus this time last year,
and it was certainly good fun looking at the data
and just in seeing such a good news story there
in terms of our expore returns and you know, those
(25:49):
returns getting returned to our New Zealand producers, which is
great new Well, well let's.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Have a look at sheep. You know, this time a
year ago or last season, six bucks a kilo for
lamb and now it's eight dollars or better. And no
one picked this rise and the rise continues that scenes
that we can't produce enough lamb.
Speaker 10 (26:09):
Yeah, that's very much true. So we're seeing you know,
store LAMB pricing as well as you know so trying
to restock their peed X is also up back at
twenty two levels, and I think, you know, we've got
this interesting thing going on. So we've got tighter supplies globally,
and we've got a more diverse range of export markets,
(26:29):
especially for LAMB. So we've heard all these messages throughout
the year, but it's fair to say no one's predicted
the pricing to be worded at now and the outlooks
certainly really strong for the rest of the season and
into next season as well. Interestingly, the Australian lamb cross
is still really high at the moment, so obviously there
is great global demand because that competition's actually stored a
(26:52):
similar level to its last year.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
At the moment, beef record demand, record prices doesn't look
like easing. And this is just spite Trump's tariffs.
Speaker 10 (27:02):
Yes, that is true, and record export earnings for beef
in the month of March, and that is quite remarkable really.
Obviously the New Zealand dollar being weak here is helping that,
but that global demand being driven by the US is
the big thing here, and we just know that they're
going to continue to need that grinding beef and therefore
(27:24):
the demand is expected to remain. Of course, the tariffs
and what's going on with the reshuffling and global trade
is something that we'll watch. But it's looking like overall
that global suppli of beef is down. In the demand
for particularly that New Zealand lenter and product which is
rising all prices is going to continue.
Speaker 5 (27:42):
Hey, just perhaps a final comment, and I don't want
to be negative Nelly on this one, but we are
trumpeting these really good relative to last season lamb prices.
But you know, as any sheep farmer would tell you,
lamb needs to be ten bucks aquilo, not eight dollars aequilo,
if they're really to make some meaningful money and fight
(28:02):
off the carbon farmer's gen.
Speaker 10 (28:05):
Yes, I one hundred percent agree, Ami, These pricing increases
are returning to where they need to be, and I
think this still room to move upwards there in terms
of the cost structure that we see on farms too,
So one hundred percent agree somewhere close to ten dollars
will be a nice place to settle. So we'll keep
watching those prices. But certainly at the moment it's looking
(28:27):
they were heading in the right direction, and the fundamentals
going into the next couple of years are also indicating
that the demand could remain quite strong, so we will
all be gunning for that double digit pay.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Yeah, let's bring on ten dollars, although the dairy farmers
might want a eleven now, but certainly ten for beef and
lamb would be excellent. The key with fruit guys mightn't
like ten bucks, but all and all, it's all pretty positive.
All you need to do, GEN, you can go away
and ponder this is how to get strong wall up
to ten dollars a kilo. I'll see you at field Days.
Speaker 10 (28:57):
So you fil days, Jamie. And wouldn't that pend doll
will price be the icing on the cake before?
Speaker 5 (29:03):
In your absolutely it would be gen Corchran there from
a Rabobank. My name's Jamie McKay. This is the best
of the country, brought to you by Rabobank and a
rap it with Winston Peters. But just a reminder. Applications
for the twenty twenty six intake of the Rabobank New
Zealand Graduate Program and now open. They close on the
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(29:46):
to Winston Peters.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Droving in your.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
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Speaker 5 (30:00):
Well, as promised Winston Peter's deputy Prime Minister, not for
much longer, New Zealand First Leader, probably for a whole
lot longer, Winston. I want to kick off today's show
with a we cut from your loyal Lieutenant Matua Shane Jones,
the Prince of the Provinces, have a listen to this
Hoskin keeps cutting my lunch. I arranged an interview with
you a day or so ago. This morning I hear
(30:23):
you first thing on Hosking. Have you no shame?
Speaker 11 (30:26):
Well? I and my leader, Winston Peters, have a deep
level of affection for your listenership and you in particular. However,
one third of the country's population do live in Auckland
and a fesswag them do listen to Mike Hoskins, So
you know needs must What is.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
It about you New Zealand First guys you all call
Hosking Hoskins.
Speaker 11 (30:47):
Yeah, it could be a dialectoral thing from us from
the north. Too much pooh and power and Deli red wine.
Speaker 6 (30:54):
I can't fully account for that, So there you go.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Shane Jones, last week on the country. Winston Peters joins us,
I guess are being called Mike Hoskins. You could be
called worse things like an arrogant wokes to loser. Gee,
you didn't spare the ride on r n ZED.
Speaker 12 (31:09):
Winston Well, I don't like planned setups paid for by
the museum taxpayer.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
The budget is coming up. R n Z is generously funded.
Are they going to get a haircut?
Speaker 12 (31:20):
You have to ask the Minister for Broadcasting and the
Minneso Finance and they'll tell you you'll have to wait
till the twenty second of May.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Changing tact here, part of me wishes you were still
happy to be the MP for Tarrona, because if you were,
you might make it a bit cheaper for people like
me who have got family and business interests in the
Bay of Plenty to get there. I see you were
having a crack at Air New Zealand around the cost
of some of their regional flights, and I say, all
power to you.
Speaker 12 (31:49):
Well, look when it's easier and cheaper to fly abroad
than to fly around one's own country. And this is
a country where the provinces generate the economy to the
backbone of the economy. It's simply not right. So I
made this statement, which I think is obvious pay equity.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
There was some interesting jabs in the house. You said
we should be more concerned about what a woman is
rather than pay equity. Chris Hapkins, to be fair, landed
a good shot on you. He said, is your definition
of a woman someone who gets paid less than a man? Now?
Audrey young At, writing in the Herald, said the pay
equity ambush will come back to bite the nats and brackets.
(32:29):
I guess the coalition government, what do you think? Or
is this just going to help us balance the books
for the budget.
Speaker 12 (32:36):
Look, the reality is that the law which was changed
in twenty twenty with the agreement of every party in
Parliament simbodly wasn't working because the so called comparative between
equity profession by profession just that doesn't make any sense.
It's not logical and we have always been and we've
(32:56):
proven it over a long time. For an increase of
the minimum wage and for increase in wages, but we
have said over that same time, you've got to cut
business taxes so they can pay their workers more.
Speaker 6 (33:09):
We have got to go for a growth strategy.
Speaker 12 (33:11):
That actually works, where the serious added value in wealth
creation and exporting drive does what we did in the
fifties and the sixties when we were number two or
three in the world. It's not that complicated. But of
course back then they had members of Parliament who are practical,
not just coming straight out university with no experience at all.
Speaker 5 (33:30):
Well, talk about exporting. You will be buoyed by the
fact that the UK's being able to get a free
trade agreement with India at bodes well for us.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
Well, we've got to remember this that the UK is
the much bigger economy and it would be much easier
for them to get a trading arrangement with India than
a small country like ours. But our job is to
go out and work to our max to get the
best we possibly can with a fast rising, seriously right
and very very successful economy. And if we furcose on that,
(34:04):
we can do it.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
Saka starm are not very popular on the domestic front,
especially with farmers and his inheritance tax, but it'll be
fair to say he's making a bit of a mark
on the world stage. He's managed to massage Donald Trump's
ego and get a trade agreement between the US and
the UK, and would be fair to say that you
urged us a few weeks ago to calm the farm
(34:27):
when it comes to Trump and as tariffs and trade.
Do you think you've been vindicated in saying that.
Speaker 12 (34:34):
Yes, it makes no sense to think out loud. Our
job is to be cauced us, take the best counsel,
wait to the dust settles, and then work on getting
the outcome that we see. And what concerned me at
the time was so many people were saying it means this,
this and this, when they had no idea.
Speaker 9 (34:53):
What it means.
Speaker 12 (34:54):
The UK has just proven that.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
I know you're not a big fan of Ori Nz.
Do you read the Herald the website.
Speaker 12 (35:02):
If I'm trying to put Mogadon out of business? Yes?
Speaker 8 (35:05):
I do.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
Okay, Well, there's a very good story in there today
written by Phil Gifford and he's named the sixth most
famous if you want almost all blacks. He's got my
old mate, Dave Halligan, and there Bob Graham, Allan Dawson, Dwaine, Monkey,
Greg Denham. I'm sure you know Greg Denham. But the
other one is Brian Going and I'm thinking Northland. Brian
(35:26):
was the first five eight you were a second five eight?
Did you play with him or against him?
Speaker 9 (35:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (35:31):
But not out of Northern Iho was an open captain
of Open mary Side and I played for alongside him
in the North versus South Maray game a long way back.
But of course Brian's problem was that Sid was the
first grade All Black and Ken his brother got to
be an All Black. So three three it's going to
be very difficult for Brian.
Speaker 5 (35:50):
What about Greg Denham, the big strong prop He was
a lawyer, wasn't he.
Speaker 12 (35:53):
Yes? I played rug with him as or Aucke University
as well, and of course he started off at the
Senasory quarter. But is a big, strong and fast and
he's the only person I know who turned back a
chance to play in the Allbacks twice because the second
time in particular, they had a law practice and he
couldn't afford to lose it.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
See I'll tell you what. During the course of this chat,
which has gone for six or seven minutes, the most
animated you've been is when you talked rugby.
Speaker 12 (36:19):
I No, I'm very animated when I talk about a
lot of other things in which I've got a passive interest.
But you happen to remind me of a time long
gone by, And yes, it was one memory so that
I recall those things. You know, I was a country
boy that came to orkand and one of the best
things that have happened to me was I made the York
University side. And now you've got alongside a whole of
(36:40):
these people from far better schools, and all of a
sudden he discover hangline minute, they might have gone to
better schools, but they're no better than we are. This
is and all of a sudden the world's your western
It was great.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
There you go. And if you come from a farm,
you've always got a good work ethic. Winston Peter's Deputy
Prime Minister, New Zealand First Leader, keep up the war
on woke. We'll see you later.
Speaker 9 (36:58):
Thank you, Cheers.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
The best of the Country with Rabobank Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Rabobank Winston Peter's rapping the best of the country. Good morning,
my name's Jamie McKay. Each and every Saturday morning between
six and seven here on News Talk SEDB, we play
the best bits of our weekday show twelve to one
courtesy of Rabobank. Remember to sample our new country music
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(37:29):
gonna love it. Great songs from great artists like Post
Malone featuring Morgan Wollen. We kicked off with a wee
bit of Morgan Wollen and we're gonna leave you with
Morgan and Post Can I call them that I just have?
How good is that? Chiefs Crusader's game going to be tonight?
We'll see you next Saturday morning?
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Myself joy helming border ourself pity every.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Week if you can't tell, they.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
Said, somewhere Mason, help.
Speaker 13 (38:07):
You thought, I said, blame for us to crumbling grun
like it lanky to you or something.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Already it lost.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
This game that you've been running gets his kitchen up.
Speaker 13 (38:23):
You think to charge of saying, after all you did,
I ain't ain't telling you, ain't anything you can't watch
out hands this. I add some help.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
It ain't like I can make this train on that
out by myself, don't I thought? You ain't help me
pull that bottle off the shell? Been deep being every weekend.
If you couldn't tell, they say, team, what make some
train work? He'll like pay from milk it do to
(39:09):
break out it too baby. You blame me, baby, I'll
blame you that I ain't true, boll It ain't like
I can make this kind of mess up by myself.
Talk back like you wait, help me pull that bottle
of myself.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Be TPD every week And.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
If you couldn't tell, they said, see what makes a train?
Or had some mel help
The Best of the Country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
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agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
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Speaker 3 (00:09):
Now record Tom.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
I can't remember everything we said.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We said it. Oh, it told me that you.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Wis hour somebody ever met for baby Baby. Something's telling
me this samee over here. No, it was our last night.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I kids to live making good to.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
See you with K and Good Morning New Zealand. My
name's Jamie McKay. Welcome to the Best of the Country,
brought to you each and every Saturday morning between six
and seven here on News Talk sai'd be by Rabobank.
We're growing a better New Zealand together and we're going
country this week at Enzedmy because we've just launched our
new iHeart Country New Zealand music station. You can find
(00:53):
it on iHeartRadio The Best of the Country. Yeah, okay,
the best bits of our weekdays show twelve to one.
We're going to kick it off with a two part
interview with Steve Mahari, a man that I honestly believe
could have been a prime minister, a labor prime minister,
had he stuck with the ship. He chose to do
other things. He's been successful post politics. Of course, he's
(01:15):
a former labor cabinet minister. Earlier in the week he
commented on the state of world politics after Trump's victories
for the left in Canada and Australia. He didn't actually
agree with me on that one. Is Winston Peter's our
Trump is labor electable with the Greens and Tapati Maori
as coalition partners. So that's part one of the interview.
(01:36):
Part two we'll have a look at a capital gains
and wealth tax as championed by the late David Parker.
I mean he stepped aside from politics and entertaining valedictory speech.
Is it electorally palatable? And how's New Zealand placed as
a food producer in a geo politically troubled world because
(01:56):
Steve Mahary's done a lot of work in that space.
Week I went to Brussels over the phone, of course,
not physically, to catch up with Kate Ackland, chair of
Beef and Lamb. She was over there. We talked declining
livestock numbers and no decline in pastoral and arable farms
going to carbon forestry. It's a real issue on the
(02:18):
farms of New Zealand. Matt Bolger, Fonterra's new Managing director
of co Op Affairs, had to look at another outstanding
global dairy trade auction this week. And with a name
like Bulger coming from the king Country, you guessed it.
Yet we figured out who his dad was and his
mum for that matter. Jen Corkran is also with Rabobank.
(02:38):
She is their senior Animal proteins analyst. She reviewed the sheep,
meat and beef sections from the banks mayag monthly. Am
I going to wrap it with Winston Peters got excited
about his glory days back in the day in his
rugby career. We've got all that to do on the
best of the country. It's brought to you by Raho Bank.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Lasted the best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the
bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
Rabobank great to catch up with this man again. Steve Mahari.
Back in the day, Steve, I think you were number
three in the labor cabinet behind Helen Clark and Michael Cullen.
Some people, myself included, said you could have been a
Prime minister and said instead of Jasinda Adrn. What would
have happened to New Zealand if that was the.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
Case, Well, who knows, hypothetical. I think Jasinda always had
an agenda which probably most people of the Labor Party
were applauded if you look back, where she was talking
about child poverty and trying to make the country more
friendly to electric vehicles and all sorts of things that
were good progressive causes. The problem they had, of course,
was delivery. And I hope that what would be one
(03:54):
thing about me would have been a fail Ever done that,
who knows it would have been that we would have
been in a good position to have delivered, because, of course,
one of the problems that whole Labor term suffered from
was the nine years before it, where there were just
constant changes of leaders and not enough attention paid for policy,
so delivery was therefore always going to be really hard.
(04:17):
I'd like to have thought that if there'd been a
better run up to that time, just thint it would
have had a better platform and we're delivered on what
she was talking.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Yeah, but she was at the end of the day,
she was too left wing. Aren't we going back even
around the world to centrist politics.
Speaker 6 (04:33):
I think that there is a shift there. I think
I've we've talked just off here about the article by
Stephen Joyce suggesting that we're seeing a big shift in
the world. I'll be a bit cautious about that. These
things that are driving the right wing, like Trump and
so on around the world are still there. They haven't
gone away. I think it's what's happening is that people
are starting to wake up and that sort of centrist
(04:56):
group who are pretty laxadaisical about politics often just starting
wake up to say, gee, if this carries on, then
you end up with people like Trump. And so we've
seen the result in Canada, with Senate, in Singapore, with
Senate in Australia that people are starting to say no, no,
we'd better be careful about this. But I don't think
the fighters. There's just huge drivers for that kind of
(05:18):
politics to go. And I think the big thing that
we all should be doing is saying the center is
the place that a good government should be, whether it's
center right or center left. And if we want to
avoid the kinds of stuff that's happening in the US
which we ought to really avoid, then we really need
to do something about getting out voting and putting in
place people you.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Care about, Steve Maharri And that's the exact reason why
Chris Hopkins is a dead man walking in my humble opinion,
not necessarily because of where he and the Labor Party sit,
but where his coalition partners sit, the Greens and to
Party Mallory, for a lot of New Zealanders, they are
totally unelectable.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
Well, I couldn't agree more. Well, I think that the
Marty Party, of course pits themselves as only for Mary
and only for a particular section of many of course
as well, that they are quite judgmental about who they
feel fits that mold. So that's a pretty difficult pill
for the majority of people to swallow. And I think
the Green Party just seem to be unable to decide
(06:19):
what they're on about. They seem increasingly to want to
represent a very small part of the country as well,
and that once again doesn't help with trying to win
a majority of people to a platform that will change
the country. So I think Labor's got a problem with
its potential partners at the moment, and hopefully they're talking
with them about the fact that they need to shape
up and start to talk about things in a way
(06:41):
which a majority of people could accept.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
Peter Dunn't let me get it right, got kicked to
touch in Australia over the weekend. He was described as
the Ossie Trump, as Winston Peter's the New Zealand Trump.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
He sort of as I think Winston has always been
a person who's understood that he needs about five percent
of the boat and we used to in the old
days referred to that as the pist off vote in
New Zealand. And that's not a big vote, but it
is about five percent or a little bit more. And
he knows that he placed it there. He gets somebody
gets back into parliament. So I don't think Winston's the
kind of person he genuinely would be a Trump. He's
(07:17):
too much an old style National Party wet really when
it comes down to it, to allow that to happen.
But he knows that there are a number of people
now that listen to that kind of stuff and they
would be a good five percent and it's a good
ticket for him to get back into parliament. Steve, I
think it's shameful that does it, but that's what he's.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Okay, Steve Mahurry, I reckon if an election was held tomorrow,
this is just my view again, and you'd know a
lot more about it than me. Winston and Shane Jones
would do a lot better than five percent.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
I think on this ticket. There after that certainly saying
James is because he's got a time in Parliament to
come yet he will want to stay there and they
could well do that. You remember last time they started
to rock up towards ten percent and so on, they
looked like they were doing quite well. Don't think it'll
either be a kind of trumpy and big vote for them,
and they don't think they would believe that they get it.
(08:05):
But they know that if they run on all these
things like the woke agenda that they're now running on,
they can get a good, good proportion of vote and
guarantee themselves returned to Parliament nothing. That's what they're after.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Former Labor Cabinet Minister Steve Mahary, Good morning. My name
is Jamie McKay. This is the best of the country.
It's brought to you by Rabobank. Up next part two
of that interview. Kate Ackland and Brussels Chair of Beef
and Lamb New Zealand, Matt Bolger, Jen Corkran and Winston
Peters to come.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The best of the country with rubber Bank, The bank
with local agri banking experts passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Rubber Bank Steve Mahary with us. Your old mate David
Parker is doing his valedictory speech this week, and he'll
fire a few shots no doubt about a wealth tax
or a capital gains tax. I know it's well and
truly back on the table, but will people vote for it.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
Well. I ought to work to something like this because
it's pretty clear that we don't have enough tax to
do the kinds of things that everyone says they want
to do, like run a decent health system and so on.
So something has to change. And you'll notice that the
National Party also are talking about where when new revenue
comes from, whether it's a capital gains tax or whether
it's a wealth tax. I think one of the basic
principles of a fair tax system would be that we
(09:21):
tax thing that anything that gives you income. At the moment,
we rely far too heavily, of course, on just income tax,
and that's not something other countries do, and that's something
we seem to have pushed ourselves into a corner over.
So I hope what the play does do is come
up with something sensible. I think a wealth tax, for example,
which perhaps was parked exclusively for health and education, that
(09:44):
people who paid it would know that their money was
going to causes that everybody wanted to see addressed. I
think probably they'd get away with it, but they need
to get past this arguing over it and settled out
and give people a good chance to absorb it. Otherwise
to be going into the election camp paying with the
policy people are not used to and that's very difficult
to vote for.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
You've got a Gold card and the winter energy payment.
You don't need it. I don't need it. Surely they've
got to do something about the age of eligibility for
National Super and perhaps means testing, not National Super, because
I think it's a universal benefit that people have earned
over a lifetime of paying tax, but things like energy payments,
(10:25):
they could be indexed to income.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Yeah, I agree with that. I'm great you said that
Super should be universal, because a minute you start doing that,
you're basically turning it into a benefit and you are
means testing it, which means there are fine whether thresholders,
that it costs an enormous amount of money. It means people
who don't get it will start to campaign on the
think that other people shouldn't get it, or just an
internite me. I think it's one of the best systems
(10:50):
in the world to just say it's universal and you
don't get all of it. If you're still earning lots
of money, then you can your super will be lower anyway.
There's all those sorts of safeguards. But I think the
other add ons. You're right, something like a community card
would be a reasonable way to say, if you've got that,
then you get the winter energy payment. If you don't,
you don't because you're right, I don't need it. You
(11:12):
don't need it. But it rolls through, and I think
some sort of guardrails around those sorts of things seems
to me to be sensible, but not super I think
that would be silly. Should the age go up. I
think probably when you look at people like you and me,
we're still fully active, you start to think, well, maybe
in future generations, giving people plenty of time to adjust it,
(11:33):
something like sixty seven is not such a bad thing
to do given them length of time people work in
the age now here.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Hey, let's just finish a final comment on New Zealand
as a food producer, because you do a lot of
work in that area. How well positioned are we as
a nation at the moment, you know, with all the
uncertainty geo political tension, the Trump tariffs, all that sort
of stuff. How well positioned do we stuck away at
the bottom of the South Pacific and just produce high
(12:00):
quality food to export around the world. I'd say we're
in a better position than a lot of countries.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Well, we've got things that people want. So that's good,
isn't it? That food is something that people always want.
How difficult difficultly really will be that obviously we're going
to ship things that are heavy all around the world
at the time when people are worried about that with
environmental issues and climate change and so on. So I
think we've got a big job in front of us
of ensuring that we're not dependent on commodities, as you
(12:30):
and I've talked before, But we're actually got food products
that is that there is. We do a lot more
to them before they lead leave the shores so we
get more money for them and that people become very
very attuned to the fact that they want to have
a new Zealand product there. And I still don't think
that we're doing enough of that. I keep asking MPI,
for example, where is the food strategy that you told
(12:52):
us the country was going to have, While they say
it's on our website. We'll go to the website and
convince yourself that's a food strategy. I think when we
still are too complacent about the fact that this is
a difficult product to have when you're a long way
from everywhere else, we need to refine it more, make
more money out of it, and really win people around
the world to say they must have these products, because
(13:14):
that's our vulnerability, not that we don't have something great,
but that we are quite vulnerable because of things like
distance in our still heavy dependence on commodities, so there's
a lot of stuff to do. I think, in terms
of a food strategy, get im much. I'm very encouraged, Jamie.
As the last comment, if you travel around the country,
you see people who've got this message all over the place.
(13:34):
They're really getting stuck into doing something special with the
product they've got branding it looking at niche markets around
the world. The problem is we don't have a New
Zealand system like that that supports them. So that's what
I think is a big challenge for food Still.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
Hey, Steve Maharri, thank you very much for your time
a labor politician making a lot of sense form a
Labor party politician. I think you'd make a great panel
with Steve and Joyce. I might well start working on
that one. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Okay, thank you, the best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
She is the chair of Beef and Lamb New Zealand
Canterbury farmer Kate Ackland, but she's not on the farm today.
She's in Brussels, Europe, representing us selling our wares over there, Kate.
Today we're going to talk about the drop in livestock
numbers and why Beef and Lamb New Zealand is urging
the government to close carbon farming loopholes before more damage
(14:32):
is done. But first tell me what you're doing in
Brussels on our behalf.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Well, Hi, Jamie yes, we come over to Brussels in
the UK every couple of years and the primary services
for us to connect with farmer groups and like minded groups,
government ministers, things like that, and just try and form
a bit of a global consensus on how we can
collaborate on some of the challenges that we're all facing.
(14:57):
And I guess just know it's harder for some of
those farming groups to throw stones at us if they've
had lunch with us.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Well, fair enough, there's nothing quite like a face to face.
As long as the levy piars are getting their pounds
of flesh from UK look good demand in Europe at
the moment, it's really helping lamb.
Speaker 7 (15:16):
Well look, there really is, and I think they face
with some of the similar challenges that we have in
terms of dropping sheep numbers. It's been really interesting being
over here since the FDA. The cold conversation had shifted,
so you know, a couple of years ago we got
quite a prickly reception, but this time it's really been
around you know, what are those shared challenges and opportunities
(15:36):
and how can we collaborate on things like defending the
role of animal proteins and a healthy diet, getting a
bit of a global narrative on the warming impacts of
me saying so it's been a really positive trip.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Am I right in saying on your farm in Canterbury
there mid Canterbury that you're a sheep, beef, dairy and
deer farmer. Have you got a finger in all those pies?
Speaker 7 (15:58):
We do, although our deer numbers have dropped pretty dramatically
in the last few years, so we're almost out of deer.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Well, you're not alone there. In the past ten years
the deer numbers in this country have dropped by a quarter.
Speaker 7 (16:11):
They absolutely haven't. I think the sheet numbers are almost
the same and it's probably some similar reasons for that.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
You think it'll be last man standing, last man, woman,
person non binary. I don't know. I'm afraid of offending
people these days, Kate, is that the last person standing
will make a fortune farming sheep.
Speaker 7 (16:31):
Look, I would like to think that some of the
policy settings that we've seen come and will start to
have an impact, but you know, an absolutely knowledge a
forestation is a major driver of that, and the government
made some moves last year put some restrictions on the
whole farm sales being converted into forestry. But you know,
as we both know, there's some loopholes that are being
(16:53):
exploited still, and there's been some really significant farm sales,
and particularly the Hawks Bay in Southland, which is really concerning.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Yeah, where you can drive a truck and trailer unit
through some of those loopholes. You're urging the government to
close them before more damage is done. And part of
the issue is some of the key flaws if you
want in guidance that relate to accepting receipts for ordering seedlings.
So if you can claim you've got a receipt before
(17:21):
December the fourth of last year, you're allowed to go
ahead and plant a whole lot of pine trees, perhaps
on good pastoral or even worse arable country. From this
announcement in December last year, we've seen nothing in terms of.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
Action, absolutely and the intent real I think the intent
of it was actually fair enough. I mean, if someone
had purchased the farm with the genuine intent to plant
it at the date the announcement happened, you know, we
understand that. But we do know sort of addeditisally, that
that farm sales are continuing on the basis of some
(17:54):
pretty questionable evidence so that that's the loophole. I guess
we need to see the government closed out.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Will this all sort itself out once the legislation has passed.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
We're still rarely concerned. We know that the government's find
modeling is still suggesting some really significant plantings going through
to twenty fifty, so you know, we question whether it
will be enough. In the year of twenty twenty three
year which is the latest one I've got figures for,
there was sixty nine thousand hectares of new aphorestation, which
(18:28):
was up eight percent on the year before. That's half
a million's documents. You know, these limits are a good start,
but I'm concerned that with our the allowance of one
hundred percent offsetting, and I suppose the artificial market that
the carbon market is driving for land, we're going to
continue to see some of this.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Hasn't there enough wriggle room in there for people who
want to grow forestry or even be carbon farmers, because
I know some of them have no intention there you go,
that's my opinion, not yours. I've ever harvesting them. So
you're allowed to plant what up under these new regulations
up to twenty five percent of land class classes one
to six on your own farm, so there's your personal
(19:09):
property rights. That would be a good mix. I know
you've got plenty of forestry on your farm.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Well look absolutely and to be very clear, our concerner
that whole farm going into trees absolutely support the integration
of trees within farms, you know, mose landscapes. It's got
to be the way of our farm and future, I think.
But this concern that we have is about whole farms.
And I know this sight in your area Jamie, that
(19:35):
has been brought in blanket planted into trees.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Yep, previously arable land. It's criminal anyhow, Kate Eckland, it's
late in the evening Brussels time. Thanks for some of
your time. Safe travels home.
Speaker 7 (19:48):
Thanks Tommy, nice to see.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Good morning and New Zealand. My name's Jamie Mackay. This
is the best of the country. It's brought to you
by Rabobank. Swing a better New Zealand together, Kate Ackland.
Earlier in the week in Brussels, Chair of Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Up next, the new managing director of
co op Affairs for Fonterra from a famous political family
(20:14):
Matt Boulger, Jen corkran at a Rabobank and Winston Peters
next week on the show. I'm really looking forward to
catching up with Rabobanks global strategist, Singapore based global strategist.
I call him an alarmist as well, but he's always
entertaining an informative Michael every that'll be our next week's show.
(20:36):
We'll tell you more about that as the week passes.
But up next it is Matt Bolger from Fonterra.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
You know you love and I see that on me
the best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Rabobank new blood on the country. Yeah, to talk about
a great global dairy tray auction overnight. He's the new
head of co op affairs for Fonterra. His name is
Matt Boulger. Grew up on a sheep farm, sheep and
beef farm in Tekawetti, but studied in Japan and the US.
With a name like Boulger and a town like Tekawetti,
(21:16):
I've got to ask this question, Matt, are you any
relation to Sir Jim good Adam.
Speaker 8 (21:24):
Yes, Sherla comes is on the case, you've covered me,
so now I'm one of Jim and James kids, although
there's a lot of us, so you know, there's there's
quite a few bulgers at roaming around the country, and on.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
One of them.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
How's your father keeping? I always thought he was a
good prime minister. You can't you can't go wrong when
you get a good, honest farmer as prime minister.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Exactly exactly, he's good.
Speaker 8 (21:46):
He's getting on. It's killto ninety this month, and so
you know when you when you're hit ninety, the body
runs into the normal wear and tear. But he's a
good foreman. I'm looking forward to getting down and seeing
them a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You've been the head of co Op affairs for a
couple of months, first time. As I said on the wireless,
as your dad would probably say, that Global Dairy Trade
auction overnight, Matt Boulger up four point six percent, whole
milk powder six point two. I'm told that the spot
price right at the moment is like eleven dollars per
kilogram of milk solids. You guys have to announce your
(22:22):
opening shot in a couple of weeks, and I'm going
to get straight into you here, Matt, it's got to
start with two ones.
Speaker 9 (22:29):
I thought you'd ask that.
Speaker 8 (22:30):
Yeah, we will wait till the announcement of the outlook
for next year later this month, but that's coming very close. Look, obviously,
anybody who's been in the dairy game for a while
with there on farm or anywhere else knows that there's
a lot of volatility, and so we we start a
season can obviously go up or down, and there's even
(22:50):
more volatility at the moment than we normally see. So
look forward to say they're putting an announcement, But yeah,
there's quite a lot of positivity out and market, and
I think the auction overnight reinforces that.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
How much of the auction was due to the end
of season and lower volumes.
Speaker 9 (23:07):
Yeah, there's a mix of things.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
So as we get to the end of the New
Zealand season, obviously we're putting a bit less volume up
in each period now before we start offering next season's
production up for sale.
Speaker 9 (23:18):
So there's a little bit of eden.
Speaker 8 (23:20):
There's also some other factors they you know, we saw
some strip quite strong demand out of Southeast Asia.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
We also if you look around the globe, New vices
up a little bit, but big.
Speaker 8 (23:30):
Milk markets or big milk producers like Europe, we actually
down a little bit in the last couple of months.
So it's all of those factors coming together.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Do you think you'll see a strong finish to the
season production wise? And I know parts of the North Island,
including your original home patch, have been very dry. They've
had some rain now will farmers and I know they
are in my home province of South I reckon they're
going to milk on while the weather's good. Why not?
Speaker 8 (23:56):
Yeah, And it's I mean you've already touched on it.
It's quite different read into region, right. I was got
right through the South Island a few weeks ago and
had anak a couple of weeks back, and obviously and
I'm based in the way Kado, so it's it's quite different,
different places, quite a lot of farmers and mikido probably
dried off a bit early, so we've seen that falling back.
But year on year we're still you know, we're still
(24:19):
up across the country. And as you say, it's quite
a strong tale in the South Island, which is keeping
that milk flying across the board. So that's a really
interesting season. Actually that combine you know, it's not been
easy for everyone, but combine those farmers who did get
a good volume of production with a with ten dollars
milk price, and you know that's it's a good season.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Well Matt Boulger, first time to the batter's box on
the country. I think you've got a pass mark. Well done.
Speaker 9 (24:46):
All right, I'll go and I'll go and test it
out with a family.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
We'll go and ask to Jim what he thought, or
play him the interview a week but later. Thank you
very much for your time and a great result too
for New Zealand Inc.
Speaker 9 (24:57):
Great stuff, thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Best of the country with Rabobank, the bank.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
With local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of
rural communities.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Rubbo bag hot off the press from Rabobank the May
agg Monthly Report. The author certainly of the beef and
sheep meat sections as Jen Corkran, Senior Animal Proteins Analyst, Jen.
This must have been good fun writing this positive report.
Speaker 10 (25:26):
Certainly good fun, Jamien. Good good afternoon to you. We
I was reflecting whilst wrowing us actually on the difference
in messages, you know, in the different and outlog that
we've got across read meat broadly versus this time last year,
and it was certainly good fun looking at the data
and just in seeing such a good news story there
in terms of our expore returns and you know, those
(25:49):
returns getting returned to our New Zealand producers, which is
great new Well, well let's.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Have a look at sheep. You know, this time a
year ago or last season, six bucks a kilo for
lamb and now it's eight dollars or better. And no
one picked this rise and the rise continues that scenes
that we can't produce enough lamb.
Speaker 10 (26:09):
Yeah, that's very much true. So we're seeing you know,
store LAMB pricing as well as you know so trying
to restock their peed X is also up back at
twenty two levels, and I think, you know, we've got
this interesting thing going on. So we've got tighter supplies globally,
and we've got a more diverse range of export markets,
(26:29):
especially for LAMB. So we've heard all these messages throughout
the year, but it's fair to say no one's predicted
the pricing to be worded at now and the outlooks
certainly really strong for the rest of the season and
into next season as well. Interestingly, the Australian lamb cross
is still really high at the moment, so obviously there
is great global demand because that competition's actually stored a
(26:52):
similar level to its last year.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
At the moment, beef record demand, record prices doesn't look
like easing. And this is just spite Trump's tariffs.
Speaker 10 (27:02):
Yes, that is true, and record export earnings for beef
in the month of March, and that is quite remarkable really.
Obviously the New Zealand dollar being weak here is helping that,
but that global demand being driven by the US is
the big thing here, and we just know that they're
going to continue to need that grinding beef and therefore
(27:24):
the demand is expected to remain. Of course, the tariffs
and what's going on with the reshuffling and global trade
is something that we'll watch. But it's looking like overall
that global suppli of beef is down. In the demand
for particularly that New Zealand lenter and product which is
rising all prices is going to continue.
Speaker 5 (27:42):
Hey, just perhaps a final comment, and I don't want
to be negative Nelly on this one, but we are
trumpeting these really good relative to last season lamb prices.
But you know, as any sheep farmer would tell you,
lamb needs to be ten bucks aquilo, not eight dollars aequilo,
if they're really to make some meaningful money and fight
(28:02):
off the carbon farmer's gen.
Speaker 10 (28:05):
Yes, I one hundred percent agree, Ami, These pricing increases
are returning to where they need to be, and I
think this still room to move upwards there in terms
of the cost structure that we see on farms too,
So one hundred percent agree somewhere close to ten dollars
will be a nice place to settle. So we'll keep
watching those prices. But certainly at the moment it's looking
(28:27):
they were heading in the right direction, and the fundamentals
going into the next couple of years are also indicating
that the demand could remain quite strong, so we will
all be gunning for that double digit pay.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Yeah, let's bring on ten dollars, although the dairy farmers
might want a eleven now, but certainly ten for beef and
lamb would be excellent. The key with fruit guys mightn't
like ten bucks, but all and all, it's all pretty positive.
All you need to do, GEN, you can go away
and ponder this is how to get strong wall up
to ten dollars a kilo. I'll see you at field Days.
Speaker 10 (28:57):
So you fil days, Jamie. And wouldn't that pend doll
will price be the icing on the cake before?
Speaker 5 (29:03):
In your absolutely it would be gen Corchran there from
a Rabobank. My name's Jamie McKay. This is the best
of the country, brought to you by Rabobank and a
rap it with Winston Peters. But just a reminder. Applications
for the twenty twenty six intake of the Rabobank New
Zealand Graduate Program and now open. They close on the
twenty first of May. Eighteen month long program offers university
(29:24):
graduates with an interest in agribanking the opportunity to begin
their careers with New Zealand's only specialist food and agribusiness bank.
Six graduates from around the country will be selected for
the program, where they will gain experience and be given
career development support within the bank's country banking division. Find
out more at rabobank dot co dot NZ. Up next
(29:46):
to Winston Peters.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Droving in your.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Car speeds of batt the best of the country with Rabobank.
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
Well, as promised Winston Peter's deputy Prime Minister, not for
much longer, New Zealand First Leader, probably for a whole
lot longer, Winston. I want to kick off today's show
with a we cut from your loyal Lieutenant Matua Shane Jones,
the Prince of the Provinces, have a listen to this
Hoskin keeps cutting my lunch. I arranged an interview with
you a day or so ago. This morning I hear
(30:23):
you first thing on Hosking. Have you no shame?
Speaker 11 (30:26):
Well? I and my leader, Winston Peters, have a deep
level of affection for your listenership and you in particular. However,
one third of the country's population do live in Auckland
and a fesswag them do listen to Mike Hoskins, So
you know needs must What is.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
It about you New Zealand First guys you all call
Hosking Hoskins.
Speaker 11 (30:47):
Yeah, it could be a dialectoral thing from us from
the north. Too much pooh and power and Deli red wine.
Speaker 6 (30:54):
I can't fully account for that, So there you go.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Shane Jones, last week on the country. Winston Peters joins us,
I guess are being called Mike Hoskins. You could be
called worse things like an arrogant wokes to loser. Gee,
you didn't spare the ride on r n ZED.
Speaker 12 (31:09):
Winston Well, I don't like planned setups paid for by
the museum taxpayer.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
The budget is coming up. R n Z is generously funded.
Are they going to get a haircut?
Speaker 12 (31:20):
You have to ask the Minister for Broadcasting and the
Minneso Finance and they'll tell you you'll have to wait
till the twenty second of May.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Changing tact here, part of me wishes you were still
happy to be the MP for Tarrona, because if you were,
you might make it a bit cheaper for people like
me who have got family and business interests in the
Bay of Plenty to get there. I see you were
having a crack at Air New Zealand around the cost
of some of their regional flights, and I say, all
power to you.
Speaker 12 (31:49):
Well, look when it's easier and cheaper to fly abroad
than to fly around one's own country. And this is
a country where the provinces generate the economy to the
backbone of the economy. It's simply not right. So I
made this statement, which I think is obvious pay equity.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
There was some interesting jabs in the house. You said
we should be more concerned about what a woman is
rather than pay equity. Chris Hapkins, to be fair, landed
a good shot on you. He said, is your definition
of a woman someone who gets paid less than a man? Now?
Audrey young At, writing in the Herald, said the pay
equity ambush will come back to bite the nats and brackets.
(32:29):
I guess the coalition government, what do you think? Or
is this just going to help us balance the books
for the budget.
Speaker 12 (32:36):
Look, the reality is that the law which was changed
in twenty twenty with the agreement of every party in
Parliament simbodly wasn't working because the so called comparative between
equity profession by profession just that doesn't make any sense.
It's not logical and we have always been and we've
(32:56):
proven it over a long time. For an increase of
the minimum wage and for increase in wages, but we
have said over that same time, you've got to cut
business taxes so they can pay their workers more.
Speaker 6 (33:09):
We have got to go for a growth strategy.
Speaker 12 (33:11):
That actually works, where the serious added value in wealth
creation and exporting drive does what we did in the
fifties and the sixties when we were number two or
three in the world. It's not that complicated. But of
course back then they had members of Parliament who are practical,
not just coming straight out university with no experience at all.
Speaker 5 (33:30):
Well, talk about exporting. You will be buoyed by the
fact that the UK's being able to get a free
trade agreement with India at bodes well for us.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
Well, we've got to remember this that the UK is
the much bigger economy and it would be much easier
for them to get a trading arrangement with India than
a small country like ours. But our job is to
go out and work to our max to get the
best we possibly can with a fast rising, seriously right
and very very successful economy. And if we furcose on that,
(34:04):
we can do it.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
Saka starm are not very popular on the domestic front,
especially with farmers and his inheritance tax, but it'll be
fair to say he's making a bit of a mark
on the world stage. He's managed to massage Donald Trump's
ego and get a trade agreement between the US and
the UK, and would be fair to say that you
urged us a few weeks ago to calm the farm
(34:27):
when it comes to Trump and as tariffs and trade.
Do you think you've been vindicated in saying that.
Speaker 12 (34:34):
Yes, it makes no sense to think out loud. Our
job is to be cauced us, take the best counsel,
wait to the dust settles, and then work on getting
the outcome that we see. And what concerned me at
the time was so many people were saying it means this,
this and this, when they had no idea.
Speaker 9 (34:53):
What it means.
Speaker 12 (34:54):
The UK has just proven that.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
I know you're not a big fan of Ori Nz.
Do you read the Herald the website.
Speaker 12 (35:02):
If I'm trying to put Mogadon out of business? Yes?
Speaker 8 (35:05):
I do.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
Okay, Well, there's a very good story in there today
written by Phil Gifford and he's named the sixth most
famous if you want almost all blacks. He's got my
old mate, Dave Halligan, and there Bob Graham, Allan Dawson, Dwaine, Monkey,
Greg Denham. I'm sure you know Greg Denham. But the
other one is Brian Going and I'm thinking Northland. Brian
(35:26):
was the first five eight you were a second five eight?
Did you play with him or against him?
Speaker 9 (35:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (35:31):
But not out of Northern Iho was an open captain
of Open mary Side and I played for alongside him
in the North versus South Maray game a long way back.
But of course Brian's problem was that Sid was the
first grade All Black and Ken his brother got to
be an All Black. So three three it's going to
be very difficult for Brian.
Speaker 5 (35:50):
What about Greg Denham, the big strong prop He was
a lawyer, wasn't he.
Speaker 12 (35:53):
Yes? I played rug with him as or Aucke University
as well, and of course he started off at the
Senasory quarter. But is a big, strong and fast and
he's the only person I know who turned back a
chance to play in the Allbacks twice because the second
time in particular, they had a law practice and he
couldn't afford to lose it.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
See I'll tell you what. During the course of this chat,
which has gone for six or seven minutes, the most
animated you've been is when you talked rugby.
Speaker 12 (36:19):
I No, I'm very animated when I talk about a
lot of other things in which I've got a passive interest.
But you happen to remind me of a time long
gone by, And yes, it was one memory so that
I recall those things. You know, I was a country
boy that came to orkand and one of the best
things that have happened to me was I made the York
University side. And now you've got alongside a whole of
(36:40):
these people from far better schools, and all of a
sudden he discover hangline minute, they might have gone to
better schools, but they're no better than we are. This
is and all of a sudden the world's your western
It was great.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
There you go. And if you come from a farm,
you've always got a good work ethic. Winston Peter's Deputy
Prime Minister, New Zealand First Leader, keep up the war
on woke. We'll see you later.
Speaker 9 (36:58):
Thank you, Cheers.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
The best of the Country with Rabobank Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Rabobank Winston Peter's rapping the best of the country. Good morning,
my name's Jamie McKay. Each and every Saturday morning between
six and seven here on News Talk SEDB, we play
the best bits of our weekday show twelve to one
courtesy of Rabobank. Remember to sample our new country music
station on iHeartRadio. It's called iHeart Country n Z. You're
(37:29):
gonna love it. Great songs from great artists like Post
Malone featuring Morgan Wollen. We kicked off with a wee
bit of Morgan Wollen and we're gonna leave you with
Morgan and Post Can I call them that I just have?
How good is that? Chiefs Crusader's game going to be tonight?
We'll see you next Saturday morning?
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Myself joy helming border ourself pity every.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Week if you can't tell, they.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
Said, somewhere Mason, help.
Speaker 13 (38:07):
You thought, I said, blame for us to crumbling grun
like it lanky to you or something.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Already it lost.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
This game that you've been running gets his kitchen up.
Speaker 13 (38:23):
You think to charge of saying, after all you did,
I ain't ain't telling you, ain't anything you can't watch
out hands this. I add some help.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
It ain't like I can make this train on that
out by myself, don't I thought? You ain't help me
pull that bottle off the shell? Been deep being every weekend.
If you couldn't tell, they say, team, what make some
train work? He'll like pay from milk it do to
(39:09):
break out it too baby. You blame me, baby, I'll
blame you that I ain't true, boll It ain't like
I can make this kind of mess up by myself.
Talk back like you wait, help me pull that bottle
of myself.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Be TPD every week And.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
If you couldn't tell, they said, see what makes a train?
Or had some mel help
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